Drain-trap.



H. A. POPPENHUSEN.

DRAIN TRAP.

APPLIOATION I'ILBD JUNE 20, 1913.

1,127,!) 10. Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

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pnrrnn snares ra rnwr onrron HERMAN A. POPPENHTTSEN, 0F EVANSTON,ILLINOIS.

DRAIN-TRAP.

Application filed June 20, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN A. POPPEN- HUsEN,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Evanston, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Drain- Traps; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, referencebeing had to the ac companying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in drain traps, and particularlyto that class of drain traps adapted for use in connection with thefloors of buildings or garages designed to accommodate motor or othervehicles, and adapted to receive water used in the washing of vehiclesand the dirt, oil or greasy substances and foreign matter resulting fromthe washing process, or which may drop from the vehicles or the like.

Difficulty is often experienced in garages or like structures designedfor the housing and maintenance of motor or other vehicles, resultingfrom imperfect provisions for disposing of waste water, oil and othersubstances which ordinarily accumulate upon the floor. A portion of thiswaste matter ordinarily assumes the form of a heavy, greasy mixture ofsand, dirt and oil, which tends to adhere to the walls of the drainpipes, restricting the passage of sewage or waste materials and oftencompletely clogging the pipes. The device herein described and shown,and which is constructed in accordance with my invention is designed toeliminate these difficulties, and to insure the proper operation ofdrain pipes and vessels into which they discharge, and the separation ofthe oil or lighter materials from the water and sand and dirt orrelatively heavy materials.

My invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a top plan view of the device embodying myinvention; Fig. 2 is a view in vertical cross section of my device.

Referring to the drawings, the device therein shown, and which is madein accordance with my invention, comprises in its construction a main orstationary receptacle or outer vessel A of metal or other suitablematerial having side walls which are by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 774,745.

preference cylindrical and a bottom wall or base. This main or outervessel is open at its upper end and is provided at the margin of theopening with a laterally extending peripheral flange a. The said flangea is embedded within the floor B or below the surface of the surroundingmaterial which may be in the form of concrete or other suit ablematerial, and has its upper surfaces, by preference, substantially flushwith the surface of the floor. The floor is preferably constructed ofconcrete, as suggested, and forms a surface which is sloping or slightlyinclined toward a central point, at which central point the drain trapis located, the same being embedded within the earth beneath the floor.The cylindric wall of the outer or stationary receptacle A is providedwith a discharge opening A having the form of a horizontally extendingpipe connection C. The said discharge openingis located between thebottom wall and the upper margin of the receptacle and, by preference,substantially midway between said top and bottom of the receptacle, andcommunicates with the sewer through a drain pipe C connected therewith.

The receptacle is partially closed at its top by means of a cover plateD having a diameter slightly greater than that of the interior diameterof the receptacle. This cover plate is removably retained in position bymeans of an-annular shoulder a formed in the upper, and inner margin ofthe receptacle, said shoulder and the corresponding annular recess beingof a depth equal to the thickness of the cover plate. The up per surfaceof the cover plate is thus flush with the upper surface of the annularflange a when the cover plate is in position. The cover plate isprovided at its center with a concentric aperture (Z within the marginof which is also formed an annular shoulder d and corresponding annularrecess, there being an added thickness of metal provided immediatelybelow or in position to form the grate-supporting flange or shoulder d.Within this aperture cl and removably retained and supported by means ofthe shoulder or inner annular flange d is a circular grating Econsisting of a ring 6 engaging the shoulder at and a plurality ofparallel gratebars e integral therewith and forming a plurality ofopenings therebetwecn. The thickness of the grating E is such that whenretained within the annular recess and supportedby the shoulder d itsupper surface is flush with the upper surface of the cover plate D.

Within the receptacle A is a removable vessel or receptacle F, the samehaving, by preference, substantially the same shape as that of thereceptacle A. The diameter of the inner receptacle F is considerablyless than the diameter of the larger receptacle, there being formed anannular space between the peripheral or side walls of the outer andinner receptacles. The inner receptacle rests upon the bottom of theouter receptacle A and is preferably in concentric relation to thecylindrical peripheral wall of said outer receptacle. The vessel F isopen at its upper end, the upper margins of its side walls terminatingbelow the top of the receptacle A and above the level of the top of thedischarge opening A.

The receptacle F is provided in its peripheral wall with an opening F,the same being located substantially the same distance above the bottomwall of the receptacle A is the discharge opening A. Extendingdownwardly across or over the aperture F within the receptacle is abaffle plate G, the same consisting of a sheet of metal 9 secured in avertical position to the side wallof the inner vessel F by preferenceabove and at each side of the aperture C. The space thus formed betweenthe vertical or upwardly and downwardly extending portion of the baffleplate and the adjacent portion of the wall is closed at the upper endorabove the opening F by means of a horizontal portion 9 integral withsaid vertical, portion and provided with a curvilinear flange g abuttingagainst the inner surface of the wall at a point between the upperextremity of the aperture F and the upper margin of the receptacle F. Aplurality of rivets h extending through the flange .g and the wall ofthe receptacle securely hold the shield in position. The bottom edge ofthe baffle plate G is below the level ofthe bottom of the opening F andbelow the level of the discharge opening A, and the liquid contained inthe inner vessel or receptacle is thus enabled to form a liquid sealbetween. the plate G and the opening F adapted to permit the flow ofliquid or materials heavier than oil or grease through the opening F andto prevent the flow of liquid or materials lighter than the water orliquid which forms the liquid seal. The relatively light materials, suchas oil and grease and scum as well as the sand or other substancesheavier than the liquid forming the seal, are thus retained in the innerreceptacle, and may be readily emptied when desired, by removing anddumping the inner receptacle The vertical portion fif h, sh el or aflefw fi en t d a sheet in the drawings, terminates substantially midwaybetween the lower margin of the aperture and the bottom wall of thevessel.

. The operation of this device is as follows: The waste water, togetherwith the sand or dirt and oil or other greasy substance is carried overthe floor by reason of the inclination of the same, and passes throughthe grating E into the receptacle F. The sand, dirt and other heavysubstances, such as that formed by the mixture of the sand and oil, willbe deposited upon the bottom of the receptacle. The water thus flowinginto the receptacle is free to flowfrom the receptacle through theaperture F and into the space between the walls of the outer and innerreceptacles and from thence to the sewer by way ofthe discharge openingA. The oil, however, which enters the receptacle F being in liquid ofless specific gravity than that of the water will float upon the surfaceof the water and be prevented from passing from the receptacle by reasonof the vertical baffle plate. Whenthe discharge into the drain trapceases, the relatively heavy liquid contents will assume a normal levelsubstantially coinciding with the lowest point of the aperture F, and byreason of the fact that the shield or baffle plate extends some distancebelow the normal level, a water seal is formed which effectivelyprevents the oil and other substances lighter than water floating uponthe surface of the water from escaping from the receptacle. It is to benoted also that the combined area of the openings within the grating Eis considerably less than the area of the aperture F, thus thepossibility of the liquid overflowing the receptacle F is eliminated.

The inner receptacle F may be removed at desired intervals and emptiedby removing the cover plate D. In replacing the receptacle F, it isobviously not essential that the aperture F be arranged opposite the discharge outlet A for the reason that the space between the walls of theouter and inner receptacles is sufficient to provide for thetransmission of the liquid flowing from the aperture F of the innerreceptacle to the said discharge outlet A.

' An advantage of the construction of a drain trap embodying myinvention is the application of an inner receptacle which can be easilyremoved at frequent intervals for purposes. of emptying and cleaning.This feature adds greatly to the cleanliness and proper operation of thetrap, in that the heavy substances as well as the oil are eflt'ectivelycollected and retained within the removable receptacle, thus theremaining parts of the trap are left free from waste material. Itisobvious that the labor in cleaning a drain trap constructed inaccordance with myinvenutn and including thisfeature, is greatlylessened. A further advantage is the use of the drain trap as a meansfor separating by gravity the oil from sand, dirt or other heavymaterial which would sink to the bottom of the receptacle, leaving theoil floating upon the surface of the water within the receptacle. Uponlifting the re ceptacle from the outer receptacle the oil can be removedand by proper treatment be again used.

The details of construction of my device may be materially modifiedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do nottherefore desire to be limited to the structure herein illustrated anddescribed except in so far as specifically set forth in the appendedclaim.

I claim as my invention A drain trap, comprising an outer receptacleprovided with a discharge opening in the side wall thereof, an innerreceptacle located within and resting upon the bottom wall of said outerreceptacle and there being a space formed between the side wall of saidreceptacles, said inner receptacle being provided with an inlet openingat its top and a discharge opening in its side wall;

the discharge opening of said outer receptacle being located below theinlet opening of said inner receptacle, a removable cover plateextending over the top of said outer receptacle and being out of contactwith said inner receptacle, said cover plate being of a size to permitthe removal of said inner receptacle from said outer receptacle andprovided with an inlet opening communicating with the inlet opening ofsaid inner receptacle, and a baffle plate located within and secured tothe side wall of said inner receptacle and extending over and spacedfrom the discharge opening in the side wall thereof; said baflle platehaving its lower end terminating below the discharge opening of saidreceptacle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of June A. D.1913.

HERMAN A. POPPENHUSEN.

Witnesses:

MORSE B. AsHMoRE, CHARLES H. POOLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

